Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
As Cecilia was placed onto the ambulance stretcher, she appeared weak.
Her face was severely disfigured and was barely recognizable from its original form.
Gripping her fists tightly, Cecilia wept with intense disdain. Damn it!
She didn’t expect her schemes to backfire. She wrongly blamed Audrey for her suffering again. A vow of revenge echoed in her mind before she slipped into unconsciousness.
Audrey didn’t stay there to watch the entire drama unfold. She had left earlier with Nicole, who had come there to meet her.
Hearing Audrey’s account, Nicole got a general idea of the drama. She hadn’t anticipated Audrey would devise such a clever strategy, effectively accomplishing multiple goals with a single action.
This plan ingeniously pitted Cecilia and Sherry against each other while simultaneously clearing Audrey’s name. Most importantly, it allowed Audrey to handle both of them at once.
Noticing Nicole’s beaming, Audrey commented with a smile, “It looks like this Cecilia is quite the troublemaker. Even you dislike her.”
Holding Audrey’s arm, Nicole shared her thoughts, “That woman hurt you deeply in the past. I’ve always suspected she played a role in your miscarriage. But she’s so cunning, I never found evidence to back my suspicions.”
The moment Nicole mentioned the loss of her first baby, Audrey’s smile vanished.
Given the extent of Cecilia’s malevolence, she had certainly brought this upon herself!
Nicole expressed her concern, “Be extra cautious around her. She’ll grab any chance to set you up.”
“Okay, I understand.”
From their very first encounter, Audrey had been wary of Cecilia. She had an inexplicable, intense dislike toward Cecilia. It was as if fragments of her memory were hinting at something that happened in the past.
Nicole, driven by curiosity, asked, “Spill it. How did you manage to get those videos?”
After all, Cary and Cecilia were having an affair in a bathroom.
Audrey explained, “That bathroom where they had sex is conveniently close to the men’s restroom. A cook happened to hear their moaning, prompting him to investigate. He ascended the ventilation system and stumbled upon the scene, capturing it on video.”
Stumbling upon the video was a stroke of luck. Without the cook’s timely actions, discovering Cecilia’s getting laid with Cary, a married man, would have been nearly impossible for an outsider.
However, even without this video, Erick’s associate had managed to recover surveillance footage that day. It could still exonerate Audrey from any wrongful accusations.
However, the video featuring Cecilia was more attention-grabbing. To add to that, it was Matteo who forwarded Audrey the video. This implied Cornell had already seen it.
Audrey couldn’t help but wonder about Cornell’s reaction upon seeing Cecilia making out with another man. Did permitting her to punish Cecilia mean Cornell didn’t care about Cecilia? Anyway, she didn’t give a damn.
Setting aside her tangled thoughts, Audrey linked arms with Nicole and said playfully, “I have heard there is a delicious restaurant upstairs. let’s indulge in some delicacy, followed by a spa session. We can even soak in the hot springs. Doesn’t that sound fantastic?”
“Sounds fantastic to me.” Nicole beamed.
Not far away, watching Audrey and Nicole stride away happily, Luis complimented deliberately, “Well, I must say, Audrey has become my idol. Who knew she had such a knack for dealing with those troublemakers!”
Luis playfully nudged Cornell on the shoulder, teasing, “Looks like she doesn’t even need your assistance. Do you feel disappointed?”
Cornell kept silent for a while and then responded casually, “It’s reassuring that she can take care of herself.”
Luis smiled at him and said, “Come on! I doubt you weren’t worried just now.”
“Honestly, I wasn’t worried at all.” Cornell raised an eyebrow and continued with a doting smile, “I would handle the situation if it went south.”
Hearing this, Luis couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. “Look at yourself! You are such a hopeless romantic. I can’t help but think that you will help Audrey even when she wants to end someone.”
Cornell shook his head, refuting, “No, that’s not it. I would end the target for her.” In other words, he would go to great lengths for Audrey.
Luis was left momentarily speechless. He felt he shouldn’t have brought that up in the first place. Otherwise, Cornell wouldn’t have the opportunity to showcase his love.
Amid their conversation, Luis suddenly remembered Jarrod. “By the way, wasn’t Jarrod supposed to join us for the charity party? Where is he?”
At the entrance of the exhibition center, the sun beat down mercilessly. It was the middle of the day of the hottest month of the year. The temperature outside soared, turning the surroundings into an oven.
Seemingly impervious to the scorching heat, Jarrod knelt before a magnificent goddess statue. His back was straight, and his knees were slightly apart.
Three long hours had passed, yet he remained in that unwavering position.
His entire body was drenched in sweat.
The temperature outside was sweltering at that moment.
Despite Alec’s attempts to dissuade Jarrod, Jarrod remained adamant about not getting up. He even resisted Alec’s offer to hold the umbrella for him and declined to drink water.
Jarrod’s stubbornness was his way of self-punishment. He understood that the more he suffered, the more satisfaction Nicole would derive from it.
Although Jarrod knew Nicole might be playing a prank on him, Jarrod insisted on following her instructions. To ensure Nicole’s satisfaction and even forgiveness, he approached the task with unwavering dedication.
After a considerable amount of time passed, the scorching sun took a toll on him, inducing severe sunstroke.
His once-handsome face now bore an abnormal shade of red, sweat pouring down like a torrent.
Despite Alec’s repeated calls, Jarrod remained unresponsive.
Seeing this, Alec grew frantic and planned to forcibly take Jarrod to the hospital.
However, when Alec’s hand touched Jarrod’s, Jarrod’s deep and commanding voice stopped him in his tracks. “Stop it!”
Undeterred, Alec pleaded, “Mr. Schultz, you can’t continue like this.
You are experiencing sunstroke!”
“I’m fine,” Jarrod insisted with difficulty, his thin lips pale and dry. “I can handle it.”
Faced with little choice, Alec reluctantly knelt beside Jarrod. After a brief period, the heat became unbearable for Alec. The concrete road, magnified by the intense temperature, felt like a searing barbecue grill even through his trousers. It seemed as though he might burst into flames at any given moment.
Consequently, Alec found himself compelled to stay on his feet to maintain sobriety. Should Jarrod collapse later, he would be the one to take care of him.
And so, another three hours dragged on.
Jarrod’s once-flushed face faded to a pallor, and his back bent slightly.
It was the dog days of summer, and despite the scorching weather, Jarrod’s limbs felt damp and cold, as if a cold breeze had permeated his body.
A profound coldness gripped him, prompting involuntary shivers. He recognized it as a likely case of sunstroke.
Survival might be possible if the symptoms were mild, but death could be the outcome if it proved severe.
Yet, Jarrod was not ready to succumb to death just yet. This was not because he thought his life was precious. His determination stemmed from the fact that Nicole had returned! He had waited for her return for five long years. Therefore, collapsing at this moment was not an option.
As if recalling something, Jarrod fumbled to retrieve a sharp Swiss army knife from his belt.
The next moment, onlookers stood in stunned silence.
Jarrod thrust the knife into his leg. The searing pain snapped him back to reality.
When Jarrod was about to stab himself again, Alec swiftly intervened, wresting the knife away. “Mr. Schultz! Are you out of your mind?”
Alec’s voice trembled, his face drained of color.
Jarrod seemed oblivious to Alec’s words. He absently scratched at the wound on his leg to keep himself sober and refused to rise from the ground.
Fretful, Alec urgently dialed for an ambulance.
When the emergency team arrived, Jarrod adamantly forbade anyone from tending to him, allowing his blood to trickle onto the pavement.
Overcome with anxiety, Alec knelt and beseeched Jarrod, “Mr. Schultz, please, let the doctor help you!”
“No, thank you…” In a trance-like state, Jarrod declined, creating a barrier that prevented anyone from approaching. He murmured, “She…
She asked me to kneel…”
Jarrod’s voice rumbled so low that Alec strained to catch Jarrod’s words, prompting him to inquire again, “Mr. Schultz, what did you just say?”
“She asked… She asked me to kneel here.. Jarrod’s broken voice echoed intermittently, revealing a sense of distress.
Alec’s eyes welled up, and he fought back sobs. “Mr. Schultz, Miss lawrence is playing a cruel trick on you. Please get up and let the doctor examine you…”
Alec couldn’t bring himself to say more. He had sent someone to find Nicole and beg her to save Jarrod from the suffering.
However, when informed about Jarrod’s actions, Nicole responded indifferently, “It’s none of my business.”
Wasn’t it glaringly obvious? Nicole was toying with Jarrod!
Regrettably, Jarrod wouldn’t believe it. At this moment, only one thing occupied his mind.
Blood smeared Jarrod’s thin lips as he said, his voice trembling, “She said I have to kneel here until she is satisfied… Only then might she forgive me.”
As dusk settled in, lightning streaked across the sky. A sudden, drenching rain followed, sounding like a loud clatter.